borg episodes star trek tng

Complete List Of Appearances Of The Borg In Star Trek

This article is more than seven years old and was last updated in July 2019.

The Borg are Star Trek's most feared and most loved adversaries they appear in a total twenty-one episodes in the Star Trek franchise in 'Enterprise,' 'The Next Generation' and 'Voyager,' every television incarnation other than the original series and 'Deep Space Nine.' They also appeared in the Star Trek movie 'First Contact.' Below is a complete list of the Borg's appearances in chronological order.

1. Enterprise - 'Regeneration' [S02E23]

2. The Next Generation - 'Q Who' [S02E16]

3. The Next Generation - 'The Best of Both Worlds' [S03E26 - S04E01]

4. The Next Generation - 'I, Borg' [S05E23]

5. The Next Generation - 'Descent' [S06E26 - S07E01]

6. Voyager - 'Unity' [S03E17]

7. Star Trek: First Contact

8. Voyager - 'Scorpion' [S03E26 - S04E01]

9. Voyager - 'The Raven' [S04E06]

10. Voyager - 'Drone' [S05E02]

11. Voyager - 'Dark Frontier' [S05E15 - S05E16]

12. Voyager - 'Survival Instinct' [S06E02]

13. Voyager - 'Collective' [S06E16]

14. Voyager - 'Child's Play' [S06E19]

15. Voyager - 'Unimatrix Zero' [S06E26 - S07E01]

16. Voyager - 'Imperfection' [S07E02]

17. Voyager - 'Endgame' [S07E25]

There's More To Come...

Enjoyed reading this article?

Related Content

'Ghost Adventures' Returns With An All-New Season This May

Couple Talk About Their Three-Way Relationship With A Ghost On 'This Morning'

Revisiting Jon Ronson's 'For The Love Of... Ghosts'

T+E Annual 'Spring Shivers' Programming Event Unveils A Spooktacular Must-See TV Lineup

All-New Season Of 'Ghost Adventures: House Calls' Premieres In April

Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted Series 3 Quiz

Yvette Fielding Tells 'This Morning' Hosts She'd 'Love' To Investigate Television Centre

Celebrity Ghost Stories Quiz

Paul Chuckle Communicates With His Late Brother Barry During A TV Ghost Hunt At His Home

Spirit Of Prince Diana Delivers Message To Paul Burrell On Paranormal TV Show

'Unexplained: Caught On Camera' Series 4 Quiz

'Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted' Returns In January For Series 3

Daily horoscopes.

Your work life is about to get a major boost in a positive direction. You'll have additional resources and responsibilities, and will be happy for some guidance from an older coworker who will have some ideas for ways to improve... Read More

Featured Content

Breaking Down The Concept & Meaning Of Spirits

How Psychics Use "Shotgunning" To Deceive Their Audiences

Premonitions & How They Foretell The Future

What Manifestation Really Means In The World Of The Paranormal

You may also like.

Why Ghost Hunters Talk About 'Entities' So Much

How Devices With Built-In Word Banks Claim To Decipher Spirit Messages

Spirit Walk-Ins: A Peaceful Exchange Of Souls Or A Forced Possession

How Trigger Objects Are Used To Help Detect A Ghostly Presence

What Therapeutic Touch Claims To Do & How It's Said To Work

Telepathy & The Potential For Mind-To-Mind Communication

Spirit Photography & Its Role In Paranormal Investigations

What Shadow Figures Are And Why They're Haunting Us

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!

The Best of Borg worlds: The 7 essential Borg episodes to watch before Star Trek: Picard

Credit: CBS

In 1989, in the episode “Q, Who?” Star Trek: The Next Generation took the word "cyborg" and clipped it down to its cold essentials, gifting the world with a new terror: the Borg. Though Doctor Who purists might tell you the Borg are a knock-off of the Cybermen, the black leather aesthetic combined with laser-pointer eyepieces and that chilling catchphrase — "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile" — all cemented the Borg as one the most iconic sci-fi concepts of all time.

The Borg is essentially internet addiction writ large, an enemy that makes you part of its server. In Star Trek: Picard , the Borg are back and several of the main characters (Picard, Hugh, Seven of Nine) were all previously assimilated by the Borg Collective. This means that revisiting some of the more pivotal Borg moments is essential for your Picard homework.

The Borg appear in six episodes of The Next Generation , one episode of Deep Space Nine , one episode of Enterprise , the film Star Trek: First Contact , and 23 episodes of Voyager . And, if you count every single episode of Voyager in which former-Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) appears, that’s 100 episodes right there. So that’s possibly a total of 32 episodes or 108 Borg episodes and 1 feature film, depending on how you look at it. That’s a lot of Borg to binge! So, in honor of Borg efficiency, here are the 7 essential Borg stories to quickly assimilate and help make watching Star Trek: Picard even more ... engaging.

Note: There are ZERO spoilers for Star Trek: Picard ahead. Episode numbers use the Netflix and CBS All-Access watch order for ease of bingeing.

01 . The Next Generation: Season 3 Episode 26 and Season 4, Episode 1, “The Best of Both Worlds Parts 1 and 2”

Although the first canonical appearance of the Borg happens in the TNG Season 2 episode "Q, Who?" whispers of the Borg are hinted at as early as the Season 1 finale, "The Neutral Zone." That said, you don't really need to start getting your Borg on until the Season 3 finale, "The Best of Both Worlds."

That's the famous episode where Picard is singled-out to be assimilated by the Collective, and the Borg make a bee-line to conquer Earth. The conclusion of this two-parter was the Season 4 premiere of TNG , and the repercussions of that episode changed Jean-Luc Picard forever.

02 . The Next Generation: Season 5, Episode 23, "I, Borg"

In Star Trek: Picard , the former-Borg know as Hugh (Johnathan Del Arco) has a semi-regular role, and in the trailers , we've seen a more human-looking Hugh in a few quick shots. What's happened to Hugh since The Next Generation hasn't been revealed yet, but Hugh's origin story is this classic episode, "I, Borg."

The Enterprise finds an injured Borg, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and La Forge (Levar Burton) decide to nurse the Borg back to health to learn more about the Collective. Without spoiling anything, this changes the way Picard and everyone else starts to think about the Borg in a big way. Hugh returns in the two-parter "Descent," in Season 6 and season 7, but you can probably skip those ones if you're pressed for time. This is the essential Hugh episode, and, probably defines the possibilities for what can happen to former Borg drones.

03 . Voyager: Season 5, Episode 15, “Dark Frontier”

Arguably, to fully prepare for Seven of Nine's (Jeri Ryan) return in Star Trek: Picard , you might want to rewatch the entirety of Star Trek: Voyager starting with Seven's first appearance in the season 3 finale "Scorpion Part 1." But, that's also little like saying you should rewatch every episode of TNG to make sure you know everything about Jean-Luc Picard. Seven of Nine is one of the greatest Star Trek characters of all time, and creating a list of the very best Seven episodes is its own thing entirely.

But, if you're only trying to download the most essential Borg lore into your brain, rewatching the epic "Dark Frontier" won't disappoint. This episode reveals how Seven was first assimilated into the Borg collective, and why. Plus, it suggests that all former Borg drones have a complicated relationship with the Collective and the Borg Queen in specific.

When it originally aired in 1999, "Dark Frontier" was presented as an extra-long two-hour episode. Netflix preserves it this way, but sometimes, you'll see reference to "Dark Frontier Part 1 and Part 2." Don't be confused; it's all the same thing.

04 . Voyager: Season 6, Episode 16, "Collective"

This episode introduced yet another variation on what it was like for former Borg drones to suddenly live outside of the interconnected hivemind of the collective. The difference this time was that the liberated Borg were all kids. Sure, Hugh was young , but he wasn't a little kid. In this episode, Seven becomes a de facto mother figure/teacher to a group of children, who, just like her, had been assimilated when they were super young. This episode also introduces the character of Icheb, a reoccurring ex-Borg who would later develop an obsession with Starfleet history, with a special interest in Captain Kirk.

05 . Voyager: Season 6, Episode 26 and Season 7, Episode 1 “Unimatrix Zero Parts 1 and 2”

As its title suggests, "Unimatrix Zero," is kind of like the Matrix in The Matrix . But, in this version, the idyllic cyberspace world is a good thing, because it's literally the only place Borg drones can "go" to be themselves. In the virtual sanctuary of Unimatrix Zero, Borg can meet, and converse, and imagine how they may have been or looked before they'd been assimilated. They can also meet and speak with drones whose bodies are plugged into Borg ships millions of light years apart.

So, basically, it's a secret virtual reality chatroom for people who are enslaved by an AI hivemind, which, if you think about it objectively — even outside of the context of Star Trek — is a freaking awesome idea for a story. As a two-part episode of Voyager , "Unimatrix Zero," is one of the best. And as a Borg episode to prep you for Picard , the essential thing about "Unimatrix Zero" is that it basically proves that even when we think we know everything about the Borg, we totally don't.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

06 . Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

It's Picard and Data versus the Borg!

Hailed as perhaps the greatest Star Trek film of all time (or at least in a dead heat with The Wrath of Khan ), First Contact mostly focuses on Picard's deep-rooted hatred for the Borg, and his desire to enact his revenge, no matter what. It also is the first introduction of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), a character who adds a layer to the Borg that makes them seem both much scarier, and weirdly a little more explicable. The Borg Queen is deranged, to be sure, but it's not clear she's evil , per se.

If you haven't seen the movie, I won't tell you what happens between her and Data (or her and Picard) but let's just say, this: the Borg Queen might be the most interesting villain in all of Star Trek . And, based on everything we learned in Star Trek: Voyager , she also might be indestructible.

07 . Voyager Season 7, Episode 24: "Endgame"

Before there was Avengers: Endgame , there was Voyager: Endgame ! In the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager , Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) , travels back in time from the year 2404, to help get the USS Voyager home to Earth about 23-years sooner than they did the first time around. Future Janeway's workaround is all about hijacking a transwarp hub used by the Borg to pop-around the galaxy with relative ease, much quicker than the Starfleet warp drives. But, Admiral Janeway's plan involves slightly more than just stealing some propulsion tech.

Without spoiling anything, the ending of this episode will make you wonder what state the Borg Collective could possibly be in during the time of Picard . "Endgame" took place in 2378, and the events of Picard happen in 2399. Whatever happened to the Borg in those 21 years might not be 100 percent answered in Picard . But, in terms of the Star Trek timeline, "Endgame" is where we left the Borg. So, when we see them again, the events of this episode will almost certainly have impacted the Collective. Even if they're too shy to mention it.

Star Trek: Picard debuts Thursday, January 23 on CBS All Access.

• Star Trek: Picard

Related Stories

Bruce Almighty Writers Pitched Devil-centric Sequel

Why Fast Five Remains One of the Greatest Films in the Fast Saga

R.I.P.D. Creators Talk Abandoned Franchise & Resurrection Hopes

Why Tokyo Drift is the Perfect Fast & Furious Spinoff

Flushed Away Director On Aardman's First CG-Animated Feature

Anthony Mackie On John Doe Vs. Sam Wilson

The Best Fantasy Movies Streaming on Peacock in April 2024

The Best Slasher Movies on Peacock for April 2024

The Best Sci-Fi Movies on Peacock in April 2024

Bruce Almighty Teleprompter Scene Wasn't in Original Script

The 20 Best Sci-fi TV Shows on Peacock in April 2024

The Fast and the Furious: Remembering how the Fast Saga began

Recommended for you.

Linda Hamilton on Resident Alien Role: "I'm Not the Funny Girl, I'm the Straight Man"

The Classic Twilight Zone Episode That Inspired Jordan Peele's Us

Resident Alien's Alan Tudyk on Harry's New Love Interest, Edi Patterson's Blue Avian

A Complete Timeline of the Borg in Star Trek

The Borg are among Star Trek's most terrifying villains, having assimilated Captain Picard and Seven of Nine, but what is their timeline of events?

Quick Links

The creation of the borg through star trek: enterprise, star trek: the next generation is when starfleet engaged the borg, star trek: voyager traveled through borg space and almost destroyed them, the borg returned in star trek: picard for one last battle.

Throughout the six-decade history of Star Trek , there have been many iconic villains, but perhaps none more so than the Borg. Created by Maurice Hurley, the head writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, the Borg began as an organic species looking attain perfection. They achieved this by merging their organic bodies with cybernetic components. Individuality was erased, creating a hivemind culture of beings that sought only to assimilate more species and their technology in the search for perfection. They are led by a queen, a singular consciousness that can occupy multiple bodies.

The Borg are incredibly powerful and are known to travel via transwarp. They are even capable of time travel, though they don't do it very often. Given all that the Borg have going for them, it's no surprise that they were meant to be the ultimate villains Starfleet could never reason with. Over time, these villains became more complex and some even became Federation allies. Yet, the Borg have a long history in the Star Trek timeline, predating the earliest human space travel.

How Did Star Trek: Enterprise Become a TV Series?

The Borg have existed in their modern form since at least the time of the 15th Century on Earth. During the USS Voyager's travels in the Delta Quadrant, they met members of the Vaduwaur species who had been in stasis for more than 900 years. They had "many encounters" with the Borg who, by this time, had assimilated a few star systems in the Delta Quadrant. However, given the Vaduwaur didn't see them as their worst nemesis, they weren't as advanced as the Borg in the 24th Century.

In 2063, a Borg Sphere emerged from a temporal rift to prevent the Humans from making first contact with the Vulcans. The USS Enterprise-E followed them and destroyed the sphere, though a number of drones beamed aboard their vessel. Captain Picard defeated them, and Zefram Cochrane made his first warp flight . Some 90 years later, in Star Trek: Enterprise , remnants of the sphere were found in the North Pole. A handful of drones were revived and escaped in a space vessel. They were pursued and destroyed by the NX-01 Enterprise, but not before sending a message about Earth's location to the collective in the Delta Quadrant.

10 Star Trek Time Travel Stories That Changed Canon

The El-Aurian Guinan was saved by the USS Enterprise-B in 2293, along with fellow survivors of her people. Her planet had been assimilated by the Borg, and this was when Starfleet learned the species' name. Erin and Magnus Hansen, tried to study them in the late 2340s before they and their daughter Annika, Seven of Nine, were assimilated. In The Next Generation Season 2's "Q Who," the omnipotent being sent the USS Enterprise-D thousands of lightyears away from Federation space where it encountered a Borg Cube. They were only concerned about technology at the time, but this meeting led them to Federation space.

One year later, in 2366, the Borg sent a single cube to assimilate Earth. They captured Captain Jean-Luc Picard and assimilated him, giving him the name "Locutus." He was meant to demoralized Starfleet to prevent humans and the rest of the Federation from fighting back. He was freed of their control, but not before the Battle of Wolf 359 which destroyed 39 ships and killed 11,000 people. Among those were the wife of Commander Benjamin Sisko and the crew of the USS Constance of which Captain Liam Shaw was one of ten survivors. Commander Data briefly connected himself to the collective, ordering the Borg drones to enter regeneration and initiating the self-destruct sequence.

In 2368, the USS Enterprise-D encountered the Borg again, discovering a crashed scout ship. The drone Third of Five survived . Picard wanted to use the drone to implant a deadly virus into the collective. However, separated from the collective, the drone became an individual named "Hugh." He was returned unchanged to the collective, though Hugh's individuality caused a meltdown in the collective. A year later, Data's brother Lore found the cube and became their leader. He tried to replace their organic minds with positronic brains like his. The rogue Borg eventually overthrew him with help from the Enterprise. Five years later, another Borg cube was sent to Earth and was eventually destroyed, but not before sending the Sphere holding the Queen back to 2063.

How Did Star Trek: Voyager Become a TV Series?

In 2373, the USS Voyager entered Borg space on their journey home from the Delta Quadrant. At the same time, the Borg tried to assimilate Species 8472, which hailed from a dimension of "fluidic space." The assimilation didn't work and war broke out. Because 8472 was so hostile, Captain Janeway was able to enter into an alliance with the Borg to help defeat them, specifically with the help of the ship's holographic Doctor. The Borg betrayed them, which Janeway anticipated. The drone Seven of Nine was freed from the collective and became a member of the crew. Though she wished to rejoin the collective and tried to do so twice, she eventually chose to stay with Voyager .

In 2375, a transporter accident involving the Doctor's mobile emitter (based on 29th Century technology) and Seven of Nine's Borg nanoprobes. A drone was "grown" in the tank and designated One. The Borg tried to assimilate him and he willingly ended his own life. Later that year, the USS Voyager salvaged a transwarp coil from a destroyed Borg vessel. This led the Borg to enact a trap meant to bring Seven of Nine back into the collective as a replacement for Locutus. Janeway and the crew rescued her. A year later, while trading with the Brunali, Voyager was attacked by Borg vessel. However, they hid a photon torpedo in a captured Brunali vessel that destroyed the Borg ship, allowing Voyager to escape.

In 2377, Seven of Nine was reunited with other Borg in "Unimatrix Zero," a digital plane where drones retained their individuality. Captain Janeway used this opportunity to plan an attack on the collective and start a resistance movement. Captured by the Borg, many of Voyager's crew were assimilated. Thanks to the Doctor, they retained their individuality freeing thousands of drones and starting a Borg civil war. In 2378, a time-traveling Admiral Janeway showed up on Voyager with a plan to get the ship home. The plan succeeded, but the Admiral was assimilated. She carried a virus that decimated the collective to nearly the point of destruction. Five years after the return of the USS Voyager, the rag-tag crew of the USS Protostar found a Borg Cube, but they let sleeping Borg lie .

The Picard Blu-ray Underscores Why Each Season Needed the Borg

A Borg Cube that assimilated a Romulan vessel suffered a submatrix collapse, and it was captured by the Romulan Star Empire. In 2399, the ex-Borg Hugh led the Borg Reclamation Project on a ship dubbed "the Artifact." To stop a plan by a cult of anti-synthetic Romulans in the Tal Shiar, Seven of Nine created her own mini-collective and led the Artifact to crash on a planet populated by synthetics. It's presumed the surviving xBs (as they were called) joined the society on that planet. Hugh, however, was killed in the attempt.

In 2401, a Borg vessel of unknown origin appeared and asked to speak with Admiral Jen-Luc Picard. The Queen of this collective was Agnes Jurati, who was assimilated by the Borg Queen of an alternate timeline who took Picard and his allies into the past to save the future they knew. Jurati convinced the Queen to create a new kind of collective in which individuality was maintained and assimilation was voluntary. This new collective applied for provisional Federation membership to stand guard at a rift in space through which a still-unknown threat would emerge.

Also that year, the near-dying Borg Queen allied with Changeling terrorists angry with the Federation after the Dominion War. They infiltrated Starfleet, adding a DNA sequence to Starfleet transporters that would assimilate anyone under the age of 25 once they received a coded message. That message was sent by Jack Crusher , the son of Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher. He was assimilated by the dying Borg Queen and named Võx. New technology added to modern Starfleet vessels allowed these new Borg to assimilate the ships in moments. Using a rebuilt USS Enterprise-D, the command crew of that vessel saved Jack and destroyed the remaining Borg, seemingly defeating them once and for all.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Episode list

Star trek: the next generation.

S2.E5 ∙ Loud as a Whisper

S2.E6 ∙ The Schizoid Man

S2.E7 ∙ Unnatural Selection

S2.E8 ∙ A Matter of Honor

S2.E9 ∙ The Measure of a Man

S2.E10 ∙ The Dauphin

S2.E11 ∙ Contagion

S2.E12 ∙ The Royale

S2.E13 ∙ Time Squared

S2.E14 ∙ The Icarus Factor

S2.E15 ∙ Pen Pals

S2.E16 ∙ Q Who

S2.E17 ∙ Samaritan Snare

S2.E18 ∙ Up the Long Ladder

S2.E19 ∙ Manhunt

S2.E20 ∙ The Emissary

S2.E21 ∙ Peak Performance

S2.E22 ∙ Shades of Gray

S3.E1 ∙ Evolution

S3.E2 ∙ The Ensigns of Command

S3.E3 ∙ The Survivors

S3.E4 ∙ Who Watches the Watchers

S3.E5 ∙ The Bonding

S3.E6 ∙ Booby Trap

S3.E7 ∙ The Enemy

S3.E8 ∙ The Price

S3.E9 ∙ The Vengeance Factor

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore.

Recently viewed

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg

Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E23 "I Borg"

Edit locked.

Original air date: May 11, 1992

Answering what they think to be a distress signal, the Enterprise comes across a crashed Borg scout ship. All its crew are dead, save one. Clearly against his better judgment, Picard allows the injured Borg ( Jonathan Del Arco ) to be brought to the ship for medical treatment, though it is placed inside a force field which interrupts its connection to the Collective . Despite Counsellor Troi's misgivings, Picard insists he's fine with the situation.

As part of its medical treatment, La Forge prepares to repair/replace certain of the Borg's cybernetic implants, but Picard takes the suggestion one step further: why not reprogram an implant to introduce a Logic Bomb through this drone into the entire Borg Collective, causing them all to shut down? At a meeting to discuss this plan, Dr. Crusher alone objects, pointing out that this would be tantamount to genocide . Unfortunately for her, everyone else is fine with it, having accepted the non-declared, unofficial state of war between the Borg and, well, anyone they want to assimilate. Unfortunately for them, Crusher's apparent sympathy for the Borg drone only grows as his physical condition improves; she notes that he seems to be frightened and lonely, severed from contact with the other Borg. Meanwhile, Guinan hands Picard a sort of Dark Side version of her usual Whoopi Epiphany Speech , when she fakes an injury during a fencing duel and then defeats Picard as he moves to help.

Guinan: You felt sorry for me; look what it got you .

The Borg boy continues to improve, and Crusher and La Forge work on testing him out to see how best to implement the Logic Bomb plot. They converse with him and introduce themselves, to which the Borg wonders if he has a name (he only knows the Borg designation "Third of Five"). Trying to sound out a pet name for him, they settle upon "Hugh", sort of a pun on "you...". Now that Hugh has an actual name, La Forge too begins to develop an attachment to him and is having second thoughts about the whole plan. He talks to Guinan about this, but she is uncharacteristically unsympathetic. La Forge challenges her to go visit Hugh for herself. Complicating matters, another Borg scout ship is approaching, presumably to retrieve survivors/scavenge the wrecked ship.

Guinan does eventually go visit Hugh, and she maintains her harsh facade until she lets it slip that her people had been very nearly obliterated by the Borg. Hugh notes that she is lonely, being so far away from any of her kind, and that he is also lonely. Guinan is, to say the least, speechless at this unexpected acknowledgment of emotion from the Borg. Guinan goes to Picard with her new misgivings, only to find him as fiercely defiant as she herself had been. Guinan is having none of it, though and insists that Picard too must at least look Hugh in the eye before turning him into a Tyke Bomb .

Finally Picard agrees and has Hugh beamed into his Captain's Office. Hugh, for his part, recognizes Locutus of Borg , and Picard takes advantage and speaks to him as Locutus. After forcing Hugh to renounce his human name and reiterate his Borg designation, he announces that the Enterprise and her crew will be assimilated , even against their will, or they will die. Hugh doesn't cotton to this idea, having grown attached to his human friends (especially La Forge) but "Locutus" is adamant, culminating in this exchange:

Picard: They will be assimilated. You will assist us. Hugh: I will not. Picard: What did you say? [...] You said "I"; but you are Borg! Hugh: No... I am Hugh.

Now Picard realizes that, with Hugh's newfound individuality, it really would be morally wrong to use him as a Tyke Bomb , and the option is floated that Hugh could be offered asylum from reintegration with the Borg. When told this, though, Hugh realizes that the Borg would simply hunt him down and harm the people he now sees as friends, and he voluntarily returns to the crash site where the other Borg will re-assimilate him. As a final note, it is suggested that the Borg will probably erase Hugh's memory of these events but, in the brief time before they do so, they will be subject to Hugh's experiences as an individual... "and that may be the most pernicious program of all!"

So they beam Hugh back to the crash site. Shortly thereafter, the other Borg arrive and quickly reintegrate Hugh as a drone. But, just before they depart, Hugh gives a clandestine nod to Geordi, indicating his yet-intact individuality.

Notable Tropes in this episode:

• Ambiguously Human : Hugh's race is never specified but he appears physically human, which makes the crew's impulse to dehumanize him especially harsh.
• When Geordi first explains the concept of friendship to Hugh, the latter immediately declares "Like Hugh and Geordi!", proving that he's formed a genuine bond with LaForge and complicating the engineer's feelings about the genocidal plan.
• Guinan talks to Hugh and vents her anger at the Borg to him, remarking that they assimilated her people and left the few survivors who resisted scattered around the galaxy. Hugh ponders a moment and remarks "What you are saying is that you are lonely." Guinan is visibly stunned by that reaction, as she can't believe that her sworn enemy can understand how she's feeling.
• When Picard pretends to be Locutus of Borg and tells Hugh that he must help him forcibly assimilate the Enterprise crew, Hugh vehemently protests " I will not assist you," asserting his individuality for the first time and convincing Picard that Hugh is more than just a drone.
• Believing Their Own Lies : It's implied in this episode that the Borg simply ignore any defeats or failures they suffer; Hugh initially believes that "resistance is futile", only to be informed of Guinan's people successfully (if only barely) resisting assimilation, and he still sees Picard as Locutus despite Picard being removed from the Borg's Hive Mind , both facts that the Borg should be well aware of. He also voices a belief that "no Borg leaves the Collective" while speaking with Picard, who has done exactly that.
• Both Sides Have a Point : At the meeting to discuss the Logic Bomb , everyone brings up valid points opposing and supporting its use. Crusher hammers the point that using it would tantamount to genocide, while Riker responds that the Borg are such a huge, existential threat that it would be justifiable . Picard also notes that "genocide" is a rather meaningless term when applied to the Borg, which is essentially a single organism.
• The Bus Came Back : The Borg return to TNG after a nearly two year hiatus following "The Best of Both Worlds".
• The things that Troi says to Picard regarding the after-effects of his assimilation further drive home the rape metaphor .
• Hugh is basically a kid separated from the totalitarian cult that raised him, and is pretty unclear on the mere concept of thinking for himself or deciding who he is or what he wants to do beyond what he's been told.
• Hugh forms an extremely close bond with Geordi: he cites him as someone he cares about, initially protests Picard-as-Locutus by fearfully asking "Geordi must be assimilated?", and, when given the choice between remaining on the Enterprise and returning to the Collective, remarks "I would choose to stay with Geordi." It's easy to read his attachment as queer love (as noted under the Trivia tab, there's also a healthy dose of real-world subtext involved, as Jonathan Del Arco, Hugh's actor, is openly gay and had lost his long-term partner to AIDS just a year before).
• A very late example regarding the Borg. This is the first time Borg drones are given numerical designations, and use ordinal numbers (Third of Five). Later appearances would use cardinal numbers (Seven of Nine).
• Hugh states that the Borg assimilate civilizations, not individuals (which is apparently why they ignored away teams on their ships in prior episodes, and why the two who come to retrieve him at the end ignore Geordi). Starting from Star Trek: First Contact , this would be abandoned altogether, with the Borg regularly opportunistically assimilating anyone they could get their tubules on. The Collective would frequently be shown to include members of still very-much-extant races, including humans, Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians.
• Eye Scream : When Dr. Crusher asks to examine Hugh's eyepiece, he simply removes it and hands it to her — exposing the circuitry where his eye should be. Crusher and La Forge are visibly unnerved by this.
• Failed a Spot Check : Hugh instantly recognizes Picard as Locutus of Borg and believes that Picard is still Locutus despite the very obvious lack of any Borg attire or implants on the Captain. After their meeting, however, Hugh comes to accept Picard as himself, rather than Locutus.
• Fantastic Racism : In this case, even our heroes see lumping an entire group into a single category as perfectly reasonable. After " The Best of Both Worlds " it seems only logical to see all Borg as malicious and dangerous, particularly for Picard. Once they get to know Hugh, however, the crew start to question their own assumptions.
• The Farmer and the Viper : Although never referenced by name, the episode hinges on this trope, with Crusher arguing to provide mercy for a wounded Borg, while the rest of the crew consider kindness to an inherently evil creature to be self-destructive. It turns out that the "viper" in this case can actually change when given the opportunity.
• Fate Worse than Death : Geordi explains to Hugh how being assimilated, losing his sense of individuality in the process, in many ways seems worse than death.
• Final Solution / Genocide Dilemma : Given the unique threat presented by the Borg and apparent lack of other options, most of the crew is fully in favor of destroying them completely, with only Dr. Crusher opposing the plan. As the rest of the crew comes to see Hugh as an individual, they begin to develop doubts, and ultimately abandon the idea.
• Happiness in Mind Control : Hugh, thanks to Borg indoctrination, sees assimilation as both normal and positive, and is genuinely unable to understand why the Enterprise crew is so opposed to it. Gradually, he comes to understand their point of view.
• Hugh realizing that the Borg basically wiped out Guinan's people.
• After speaking with Hugh and hearing him assert his individuality, Picard reconsiders his plan to use Hugh to destroy the Borg, seeing that doing so would make him no better than the Borg themselves .
• Heroic Sacrifice : Hugh volunteers to rejoin the Collective to save the ship.
• Hoist by His Own Petard : The Enterprise crew originally plans to use Hugh as a living Logic Bomb to destroy the Borg. However, as each member of the team meets and talks to him, they are challenged by Hugh's paradoxical nature and gradually become "infected" with compassion and understanding for him.
• Hyde Plays Jekyll : Inverted. When Picard first meets with Hugh, the latter identifies him as Locutus (despite the very obvious fact that Picard is no longer Borg). Picard plays along with this, claiming he is there to facilitate humanity's assimilation, and ordering Hugh to assist in assimilating the Enterprise . He's utterly thrown when Hugh insists " I will not! "
• I, Noun : A particularly striking episode title considering this is The Borg we're talking about.
• Innocuously Important Episode : This is the first episode in the franchise which humanizes the Borg (or more precisely, the drones who have been severed from the Collective). Hugh's introduction would eventually to lead to the characters of Seven of Nine and Icheb on Star Trek: Voyager . Hugh, Seven of Nine and Icheb would later also guest star in Star Trek: Picard .
• "It" Is Dehumanizing : Everyone in the crew shows their sympathy for Hugh or lack thereof by referring to him as either "he" or "it." Picard is the last holdout. Picard: It's not a person, damn it, it's a Borg!
• Line-of-Sight Name : A purely verbal version, when Crusher and La Forge go from "you" to "Hugh".
• Little "No" : When " Locutus " informs Hugh that Geordi will die if he is not assimilated, Hugh utters a horrified "no". Hugh: He would rather die than be assimilated. "Locutus" : Then he will die. Hugh: No... Geordi must not die. Geordi is a friend.
• Logic Bomb : Picard's plan is to introduce an unsolvable math problem (an anomalous geometric figure, which every attempt to analyze produces further contradictory anomalous figures) into the Borg Hive Mind by letting Hugh look at it and returning him to the Collective. Data and La Forge calculate that it will shut down the entire Collective in a matter of months.
• The McCoy : Doctor Crusher first begins treating a fatally injured Borg, and objects to the Logic Bomb plan as soon as it's proposed.
• The Needs of the Many : Hugh, still grappling with his individuality, struggles to wrap his mind around this not being the case, being offered the choice of staying aboard the Enterprise even with the certainty of Borg pursuit. However, he ultimately plays it straight, choosing to return to the Borg to protect his new friends and the rest of the Enterprise crew.
• When Geordi is analyzing Hugh to learn more about him, Hugh helpfully points out that the Borg do the exact same thing with the species they assimilate, and so expects Geordi to like the idea. It's subverted when Geordi explains how the Borg's tactic of forcible absorption differs from consensual curiosity.
• Played straighter when Guinan visits Hugh in his cell and talks to him, angrily remarking that the Borg assimilated most of her people and left the few remnants scattered across the galaxy: Hugh : What you are saying...is that you are lonely. Guinan : ...what? Hugh : You have no others. You have no home. (Guinan stares at Hugh in shock) Hugh : We are also lonely...
• Oblivious Guilt Slinging : Hugh's innocent questions about Crusher and La Forge's tests make both officers feel very guilty about their ulterior motives.
• Obliviously Evil : It's a complete surprise to Hugh that most consider assimilation by the Borg to be a Fate Worse than Death and that contrary to the Collective's oft-heard refrain, resistance is not futile.
• Oh, Crap! : Pretty much everyone's reaction to discovering that the wreckage they're investigating is that of a Borg ship... and there's a survivor.
• When the away team discovers the surviving Borg drone, the honor-obsessed, Proud Warrior Race Guy Worf recommends killing it, making it look like an accident, and running like hell. The compassionate, unflappable Captain Picard seriously considers doing so before reluctantly deciding to show the drone mercy.
• Guinan is uncharacteristically hostile and close-minded when faced with the question of Hugh, owing to the fact that the Borg wiped out nearly all of her species. It's one of the few episodes where she actually has an arc.
• In the initial conference, Deanna is the most militant she's ever been by far, rejecting Beverly's claim that they're not "formally" at war by pointing out the Borg have attacked the Federation at every encounter.
• Resistance Is Futile : Discussed; Hugh starts out parroting the Borg's typical refrain, but when he meets Guinan, he learns that she and some of her people survived and escaped from the Borg's destruction of her homeworld. Guinan: My people resisted when the Borg came to assimilate us. Some of us survived. Hugh: Resistance... is not futile?
• Rogue Drone : Hugh is separated from the Borg Hive Mind , is given a name, and slowly develops a sense of identity and individuality, finally culminating in use of the singular pronoun "I".
• Sarcasm-Blind : While confronting Hugh, Guinan is initially snarky and dismissive, only to find that the childlike Hugh can neither understand nor appreciate her attitude. Guinan: Aren't you going to tell me you have to assimilate me? Hugh: You wish to be assimilated? Guinan: No, but that's what you... things do, isn't it?
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! : Dr. Crusher remarks that, war or no war, Hugh is an injured sentient being, and thus she's going to treat him regardless of whether or not it's allowed.
• Shout-Out : The title is a play on the classic science fiction story I, Robot .
• Sure, Let's Go with That : A dark version when Hugh recognizes Picard as Locutus. After a moment of shock, Picard decides to roll with it.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork : Dr. Crusher ends up doing this when she's outvoted among the Enterprise officers and forced to help with their genocidal plan. She throws up protests the whole way, at one point outright saying "I'm here to help, but I don't have to like it."
• Two Roads Before You : Hugh has the choice of staying with the Enterprise crew or returning to the Borg Collective. He chooses the latter to protect our heroes .
• Vocal Evolution : When Hugh first awakens on the Enterprise as Third of Five, his voice is cold and robotic, barely rising above a monotone. Throughout the episode, as the crew members teach him about individuality, his tone changes in kind, gradually filling with inflections, emotions, and humanity.
• What Is This Thing You Call "Love"? : It's revealed that the Borg have no words for or even concept of emotion beyond the desire to assimilate. As such, Hugh has to learn all about the ideas of loneliness, friendship, kindness, and love; each member of the crew that teaches him about them comes to recognize his humanity.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Crusher calls out Picard for considering genocide.
• Wham Line : One of the most memorable of the series. Picard: You are Borg. You will assist us. Hugh: I will not. Picard: ...What did you say? Hugh: I will not assist you. Picard: "I...?" Hugh: Geordi must not be assimilated. Picard: But you are Borg. Hugh: No... I am Hugh.
• First, a subversion, when Picard and Guinan are fencing one another. The normally wise and introspective Guinan is surprisingly ruthless, combined with a Wounded Gazelle Gambit in their fencing match, to highlight the dangers of keeping a Borg drone, even one seemingly disconnected from the Collective, on board. Guinan: You felt sorry for me. Look what it got you.
• A series of inversions come in the middle of the episode. Guinan is actually on the receiving end of such a speech, from Geordi. Guinan: Let me tell you something, when this kid's big brothers come looking for him, they're not gonna stop until they find him. And they'll come looking for us, and they will destroy us. And they will not do any of the soul-searching that you're doing now. Geordi: So why don't you go and talk to him? It might not be so clear-cut then. Guinan: Because I wouldn't have anything to say. Geordi: Then why don't you just listen? That is what you do best, isn't it?
• Guinan does indeed talk to Hugh after this, leading to her own change of heart on this situation. Guinan: Thanks to you, there are very few of us left. We're scattered throughout the galaxy. We don't even have a home anymore. Hugh: What you are saying, is that you are lonely. Guinan: What? Hugh: You have no others, you have no home. We are also lonely.
• This leads to Guinan reversing her previous stance with Picard in a more Played Straight example of the trope: Guinan: If you're going to use this person- Picard: IT'S NOT A PERSON, DAMMIT, IT'S A BORG! Guinan: If you're going to use this person to destroy his entire species, you should at least look him in the eye. Otherwise, you might find that decision much harder to live with than you realize.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit : Guinan pulls one while fencing with Picard to teach him a lesson about sympathy for the Borg.
• You Will Be Assimilated : Well, not if Hugh has anything to say about it...
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E22 "Imaginary Friend"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E24 "The Next Phase"

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 Ending, Explained

After a challenging first year, Star Trek: The Next Generation ended with a menacing sign of things to come.

Quick Links

How does star trek: the next generation season 1 end, star trek: the next generation season 1's biggest story arcs, what do fans think of star trek: the next generation season 1's ending.

The stumbles of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation have been well-documented. Behind-the-scenes, writers struggled with the concept set down by franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. Some episodes were blatant remakes of Original Series stories, and the show even managed to lose a key cast member. Sometimes it seemed a quadrant away from the classic-packed first season of Star Trek in 1966.

It would be a couple of years before TNG introduced the trademark two-part stories that split seasons — ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ set a high bar at the end of Season 3. But it was clear TNG wouldn’t settle for being defined by its first season. It mustered up a season finale that reasserted its vision for Star Trek while keeping an eye on the future.

Best Picard Quotes In Star Trek: The Next Generation

‘The Neutral Zone’ ends the first year of TNG in an unusual way. It doesn’t pick up specific plot strands from the 25 episodes that went before, instead serving up two balanced storylines that dovetail into an intriguing ending. In the pre-title teaser, Worf and Data encounter a 20th-century Earth spacecraft packed with cryogenically suspended humans and retrieve three of them. The discovery recalls ‘Space Seed,’ the ominous 1967 episode of the Original Series that introduced major villain Khan Noonien Singh, but the threat in TNG comes from somewhere else entirely.

Mostly, the three revived humans provide comic relief and pose an inconvenience as the crew of the Enterprise investigates the loss of several Federation outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone . The fear that the Romulan Star Empire is re-awakening after 53 years of isolation is realized at the end of the episode when the Enterprise encounters a huge Warbird and two combative commanders.

9 Underrated Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

The twist is that the Romulans aren’t behind the devastating attacks, having lost bases themselves. While there’s a chance for the Empire and Federation to work together, the Enterprise crew and fans are left in no doubt that the Romulans mean business in the galaxy, as one commander promises, “We are back.” As Picard eloquently observes, “I think our lives just became a lot more complicated.”

The episode’s odd structure makes an interesting juxtaposition. The antics of the survivors from the 20th century recall some comedic moments in the Original Series . While the Enterprise crew are oddly dismissive of the time refugees, their presence reinforces that the exploration and knowledge-led 24th century is far removed from the 20th, and even the 23rd. It’s a timely reminder as the parallel plot reintroduces and repositions the new-look Romulan Star Empire as a major threat.

The first season of TNG didn’t have the kinds of story arcs Star Trek fans are used to today. In the 1980s, TNG was syndicated to local stations in the US, meaning episodes could be broadcast in any order. That made arcs impossible and led to soft resets at the end of each story — which is why the death of a major character just two episodes before doesn’t warrant a reference. However, that didn’t stop TNG from seeding plots that would grow over the following years.

TNG ’s first year introduced Data’s long-lost brother Lore and the mysterious Traveler, both of whom would return with consequences. TNG ’s first story, ‘Encounter at Farpoint,’ welcomed fan-favorite Q, the omnipotent alien who would reappear throughout and beyond the series, including the grand finale ‘All Good Things.’ However, the most significant plot arc concluded in the episode before ‘The Neutral Zone.’ Teased in the 19th episode, ‘Coming of Age,’ the penultimate episode ‘Conspiracy’ had Picard and crew uncover and foil a parasitic alien infiltration at the head of Starfleet.

After dealing with monsters close to home and Federation ideals, TNG’s second major arc was all about establishing a next-generation threat to the galaxy. Roddenberry was keen to mark the Star Trek sequel series out from its 1960s forbear. Worf’s presence on board the enterprise was a clear sign that time had moved on, and he spelled it out in the series’ writing rules :

No stories about warfare with Klingons and Romulans and no stories with Vulcans. We are determined not to copy ourselves and believe there must be other interesting aliens in a galaxy filled with billions of stars and planets.

6 Biggest Retcons To Star Trek History

The solution was the Ferengi, a vicious and distinctive new species mentioned in early episodes before they made their presence felt in the fifth story, ‘The Last Outpost.’ As fans know, the looks and motives of this new threat didn’t work out , and the big-lobed aliens were softly rebooted into the avaricious comic relief that became a popular part of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

The Ferengi retreat left a gap, and the Romulans were ready to fill it . Using the time jump to the 24th century, the show recaptured the mystery of their reveal in the Original Series ’ ‘Balance of Terror’ (the Federation and Romulan Empire had fought a war in the 22nd century, but before view screens!).

The updated villains, who receive a great write-up from Troi in the episode, had new forehead ridges to distinguish them from Vulcans , a new Imperial symbol, and a gigantic new warship. The impressive D'deridex-class Romulan Warbird was the last ship created for the franchise by legendary designer Andrew Probert, who was also responsible for the Enterprise-D.

The fan reception to TNG Season 1 is mixed. It holds an Audience Score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, well under the 93% earned by TNG’s seventh and final season.

However, the final episode has received generally favorable reviews. One Redditor has justified that it’s a perfect starting point for new viewers of TNG as it expertly defines the traits of most of the main cast and sets out Star Trek ’s optimistic vision

The way the revived humans are handled comes in for most criticism, as observed on Reddit . While the episode mainly uses the 20th-century throwbacks as a chance to set out the Federation charter in the 24th century, it’s at the cost of plausibility. Would the enlightened crew of the Enterprise not be more interested in the time capsule that fell into the ship’s path or wary, considering what happened with Khan less than a hundred years before?

6 Most Evil Characters In Star Trek History

The handling of the Romulans stands out, as the Empire snarled back with suitable threat and promise. One Redditor even suggested the episode foreshadowed the approach Deep Space Nine would take to the Federation when they provoked the Dominion . Are the franchise's heroes just bringing trouble on themselves with their smug assertion of how great and correct they are?

An interesting side note couldn’t help but affect how fans perceive the episode as soon as a year after its broadcast. The Romulans were a welcome returning threat, but they were a stop-gap. The Ferengi were pushed aside in preparation for a yet-to-be-revealed major new threat whose presence was felt in the devastating attacks on outposts in the Neutral Zone. It would be a while before the culprits were revealed, even if the stellar cartography and timeline don’t quite match up. ‘The Neutral Zone’ is the first sign of TNG’s definitive enemies: The Borg.

Star Trek: 5 Important Moments In The Borg's History

Star Trek: Discovery's Commander Rayner Is The New Riker

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors "

• Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery shows reluctance to lead, akin to Riker in The Next Generation, emphasizing the importance of strong leadership dynamics.
• Similar to Riker on the USS Enterprise-D, Rayner's style proves valuable in solving critical issues in "Mirrors" episode.
• Burnham's mission and leadership choices parallel Picard and Riker dynamics, showcasing a balance of risk-taking and bold decision-making in Star Trek lore.

Star Trek: Discovery 's new Number One, Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) has a lot in common with Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) from Star Trek: The Next Generation . In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan , Rayner has to reluctantly take the center seat while Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is on an away mission. Rayner's reluctance to take the conn, and his insistence that he lead the away mission in Burnham's stead, draws similarities between him and Will Riker.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 , "Mirrors" reveals that Rayner, formerly the captain of the USS Antares, is unsure that his style will gel with his new crew. However, by bringing the Discovery's bridge crew together, Rayner is able to solve the problem of how to drag the ISS Enterprise out of interdimensional space . With Burnham back on board, Rayner is back to being the USS Discovery's Number One, but satisfied that he can lead from the center seat, much like Riker at the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 1, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"

Jonathan Frakes Is In Star Trek: Discovery Even If You Dont See Riker

Star trek: discovery's commander rayner is reluctant to be captain - like riker in tng.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation , Riker turned down several opportunities to become captain, preferring to stay aboard the USS Enterprise-D as second-in-command to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). However, Riker was often placed in charge of the starship Enterprise , most notably when Picard was assimilated by the Borg Collective. After rescuing Captain Picard from the Borg, and saving the Federation from the Collective, he was happy to step down from Captain to Commander Riker, satisfied that he'd proved his worth as a captain. For Riker, serving as Number One on the Federation flagship was just as huge an achievement as his own command .

Riker finally accepted a promotion to captain of the USS Titan in Star Trek: Nemesis .

Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery was demoted from Captain to Commander in season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons". The USS Discovery is Rayner's last chance, which is presumably why, like Riker in TNG , he's keen not to chase promotion. His reasoning is different to Riker's because Rayner had already been a captain for years before becoming Burnham's Number One . Rayner is reluctant to take charge in "Mirrors" because it's not his crew, and his command style is very different to Burnham's.

Commander Rayner Is The Riker To Burnham's Picard In Star Trek: Discovery

One of the reasons that Rayner gives for not wanting to take the conn is that Burnham's away mission is " too risky " for the captain of the USS Discovery . Riker leading the away missions in Star Trek: The Next Generation became such a trope that Picard jokes about it in his Star Trek: Nemesis wedding toast . Burnham explains why she and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) are the best crew members to take on the mission, forcing Rayner to concede that she's right. Picard would do the same in later seasons of TNG as he took a more active role in away missions.

Discussing Riker's replacement aboard the Enterprise, Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Picard jokes: " I will be training my new first officer. You all know him. He's a tyrannical martinet who'll never, ever allow me to go on away missions! "

When Burnham offered Rayner the role of second-in-command in Star Trek: Discovery she made it clear that she didn't want a " yes man ". Picard didn't want Riker to be one either, which is why he was so impressed by his fierce opposition to Captain Robert DeSoto (Michael Cavanaugh) leading an away mission on Altair III. Riker risked court martial to convince DeSoto that his away mission was " too risky " for the captain of the USS Hood, something that ultimately led to him becoming the second-in-command of the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+

All episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation are streaming now on Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Screen Rant

"no drone ever forgets": star trek confirms dark secret technology all borg drones can build (even after being freed).

Being assimilated by the Borg is a traumatic experience, and now Star Trek has confirmed a drone's memory lasts even after they are liberated.

• Assimilation by the Borg means losing your identity and soul, making it a fate worse than death.
• Former drones, like Hugh, remember Borg functions even after being freed, leaving lasting trauma.
• In Star Trek: Defiant #14, Hugh saves the crew by using Borg knowledge to defeat a takeover.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #14!

In the Star Trek universe, the chances of coming back from assimilation by the Borg are slim, and even when people are freed, they still retain terrible knowledge of their times as drones. The ex-drone, Hugh, has joined Worf’s crew in Star Trek: Defiant, and in issue 14, with the team’s back against the wall, Hugh saves the day using Borg knowledge that he somehow retained.

Star Trek: Defiant #14 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. B’Elanna Torres has been taken over by one of the parasites from “Conspiracy.” Spock attempts a mind-meld to free her, but it fails. Running out of options, Hugh suggests he “assimilate” B’Elanna. The parasites cannot infect the Borg, making it B’Elanna’s only salvation. When asked how he plans to do this, he tells Worf and company he can jury-rig an assimilation chamber from various parts.

He tells Worf that it is something all drones remember –even after they have been liberated.

The Borg Not Only Takes Your Technology--They Take Your Soul As Well

Assimilation is a fate worse than death.

The Borg are one of the most powerful, and scariest, alien species in the Star Trek franchise. Residing in the distant Delta Quadrant, the Borg travel the galaxy (and some even speculate the entire universe), assimilating other lifeforms into their collective. The Borg gain the knowledge of those they assimilate. As seen in the epic Star Trek: The Next Generation two-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds,” this makes them extremely difficult to defeat. When assimilated, a person loses their identity and their essence, making it a kind of “living death.”

Assimilation was not initially a part of the Borg, but was added later for dramatic effect.

In the Star Trek franchise, very few individuals have come back from being assimilated. Captain Picard, Hugh and Seven of Nine were all Borg at one point, and all of them were freed from the Collective. Yet as seen in other episodes and other media, pulling a person out of the Collective can have lethal effects on them, making it a delicate procedure. After being freed, the person must then come to terms with the trauma they have experienced. Picard, Seven and Hugh carry the scars for the rest of their lives.

Star Trek's 2009 Movie Hid the Full Power of Nero's Ship (& Its Borg Connection)

Borg drones carry more than just their guilt, it seems there is no escape from the borg.

And now, Hugh has revealed that not only do former drones carry the guilt of what they did, but also, horrifyingly enough, can still perform Borg functions. Previous issues of Star Trek: Defiant revealed that when Hugh was severed from the Collective, he lost all memory of who he was prior to assimilation. This, when coupled with drones retaining their knowledge of Borg procedures and technology, paints a truly terrifying picture of the horrors of assimilation. Being assimilated into the Borg can last a lifetime, and even being freed from them is no guarantee of happiness.

Star Trek: Defiant #14 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!